1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packaging of computing systems and more particularly to packaging of large computing systems that include one or more central electronic complexes (CECs).
2. Description of Background
The industry trend has been to continuously increase the number of electronic components inside computing systems. A computing system can include a simple personal computer, a network of simple computers, or one or even a network of large computers that include one or more central electronic systems (CEC). While increasing the components inside a simple computing system does create some challenges, however, such an increase create many problems in computing systems that include one or more large computers. In such instances many seemingly isolated issues affect one another, especially when packaged together in a single assembly or networked or housed to other systems that are stored in close proximity.
One such particular challenge when designing computing system packaging is the issue of heat dissipation. Heat dissipation if unresolved, can result in electronic and mechanical failures that will affect overall system performance. As can be easily understood, the heat dissipation increases as the packaging density increases. In larger computing systems, such as the ones that include one or more CECs, the problem of heat dissipation becomes of particular concern.
Heat dissipated from packages residing in large computing systems affect the computing system's internal areas adjacent to heat producing components. However, this is not the only concern with large systems. Due to their large size and the number of heat producing packages, large computing systems can affect the temperature of the environment that they are housed in. Therefore, if several large computing systems are being stored within the same physical confines, improper cooling and unwanted heat dissipation from one or more such systems, can affect all such systems by affecting the temperature of the environment where the computing systems are being stored. The latter has become of special concern as of late and at times cost prohibitive solutions have been suggested in order to keep the environment where the computing systems are being stored at an acceptable temperature.
Another problem associated with computing systems, and especially large ones, is the issue of minimizing dynamic loading effects. In many instances CECs and other similar large computers are housed in an assembly and the assembly is then placed in a rack or frame with other CECs or components. Since every rack and every assembly often includes a variety of electronic components (such as daughter cards, elements and components that support logic entities, mid-plane boards and the like), in a dense packaging environment, the dynamic loading effects of such components can also cause electrical and mechanical failures if not dealt with adequately.
In order to minimize adverse dynamic loading effects, prior art frames that house CECs and other large computers have traditionally been designed such that they incorporate a self contained sheet metal enclosure design. In larger environments, traditionally vertically mounted mid-plane (with reference to ground plane) sections are also incorporated into this design. Consequently, to minimize dynamic loading issues, the prior art currently being practiced, provides for a box within a box approach and design that often incorporates such vertically mounted mid-plane sections. Unfortunately, the prior art approach has many inherent problems.
One problem associated with prior art box within a box designs that are currently being practiced, is the fact that this approach restricts packaging density within a specific system footprint that cannot easily be altered. This can limit the use and only allow the box to be use specific system. A different problem with box within a box approach is the problem of heat dissipation, as discussed previously. The box within box design in itself does impede proper ventilation for the system environment, but those designs that particularly incorporate the vertically mounted mid-plane sections intensify this problem further. This is because the vertically mounted mid-section impedes efficient ventilation, such as front to back air-cooling of the components.
A different issue that has also been of special concern in the design of such large computing systems, besides dynamic loading and heat dissipation, has been the transportation and storage of such large units. Unfortunately, the box within a box approach creates problems with respect to the transportation, assembly and maintenance of large metal boxes that have to be mounted upon a rack or frame to eventually house the different units and components of the computing system as discussed.
Currently, there is no single design that can efficiently address all problems as enumerated above. Attempts to improve packaging designs to resolve one set of the previously enumerated problem(s) often cause other such problems to worsen. Consequently and in light of the prior art current designs that affect overall system performance of CECs and other similar computer systems, it is desirable to implement an assembly and corresponding method of packaging that can support high density components and address dynamic loading issues of such components while improving the ventilation problems. It would be of particular interest if such assembly and method suggests a viable option as to minimize the difficulties associated with transportation, assembly and storage of such units that will eventually assemble into a single computing system.